Page 54 of Nothing To Lose
"Why are you here?"
"What did you tell Talon?"
"Oh, he's Talon now, is he?"
"Answer me!" he snaps.
Closing my laptop, I stand and try to sidestep him, but he moves with me. It takes considerable effort to keep my voice even. "Does it really matter?"
Guy laughs knowingly. It's a sharp, grating sound that lives in my nightmares and feels like cold gravel digging into my skin. "You're such a drama queen. I told you he wouldn't believe you. No one would. It's your word against mine."
My skin crawls, and I take several steps back. He matches each of my steps with one of his own, effectively cornering me in the quietest section of the library.
An exhale of sheer relief escapes me the moment someone comes up the stairs. The library staff member moves behind the desk, watching us with wary eyes. Something in the tension between Guy and me must be obvious because they walk down the aisle of chairs and tables to check on us. "Is everything okay over here?"
I latch onto the opportunity to escape. "Yes, actually, I was just leaving."
Without waiting for a response, I grab my bag and push past Guy, moving swiftly towards the exit. I suck in several gulps of the cold, fresh air, but my reprieve is short-lived.
"You really think you can avoid me forever?" Guy shouts, following me into the small courtyard in front of the library. "You owe me–"
"I don't owe you anything!"
"You can't just get up and leave in the middle of a date," he hisses, voice dropping into a low, venomous tone. "You humiliated me."
"Humiliatedyou?" I exhale sharply. What little patience I have is frayed entirely. "You acted like the worst kind of asshole, then took it out on me. You left me face down in an alley.”
“You look fine to me,” he says in a bored tone.
“I spent the night in the hospital with a concussion. The bruising and swelling only recently got to the point where it could be covered."
"Of course you'd wear makeup," he scoffs. "You owe your father a believable explanation. Why don't we have dinner and discuss a plan to–"
"You cannot be serious!" I don't know whether to scream and cause a scene, or walk away again. He'd probably just follow, but maybe if we're somewhere with more people around, he'll think twice about–
"Hey, baby. Everything alright?"
What is Isaac doing here?
His voice is simultaneously the most comforting and terrifying sound I’ve ever heard. In the space of four words, I know I'm safe, that Guy can't hurt me. I also know that these two men anywhere near each other is a disaster waiting to happen.
Guy looks from me to Isaac, who's standing less than ten feet away, looking from me to Guy. He's wearing his usual dark jeans, faded hoodie, and scuffed work boots. He doesn't have his ball cap on, and despite the cold, has the sleeves of his hoodie pushed up. It occurs to me he might have done that on purpose, because his bare arms, paired with the way he's standing, look mildly threatening. The bruises and split lip from the fight last night only make him look more dangerous instead of making him look like a victim like I have.
"Is everything okay here?"
"You have got to be kidding me," Guy spits. "That guy, really?"
"Leave him out of this," I warn.
Guy sneers. "Oh, I don't think so. Not after the way you were eyeing him that night. Jesus, Tyler. I knew you were a desperate, insecure little bitch, but I didn't realize you were that pathetic." He steps closer, his voice dripping with condescension. "Do you honestly think he wants you? I guarantee he's only using you for your money and a warm body with no scruples to fuck between parole violations."
Isaac takes in my expression, then Guy's looming presence. He steps forward.
Before Isaac can close the distance, Guy steps into my space, holding my arm so I can't get away. "Just wait until your father hears who you're spreading your legs for. As if I needed any more proof that you're nothing but an attention seeking whore."
Isaac pushes Guy away from me and steps between us in a flash, using every inch of his height and presence to his advantage. Guy is only an inch or two shorter than him, but he looks small and weak in comparison. It's more than just his size, though. It's everything about him. It's the hostility and protectiveness that pours off him in waves.
Guy tries not to show that he's intimidated, but it's obvious. He takes a step back, gesturing with his hand as if to say, "you can have him."
